The Coronas
3Olympia, Dublin
★★★★☆
It wouldn’t be Christmas without The Coronas. The Dublin trio deliver a well-practised crowd-pleasing performance at the Olympia Theatre, clearly elated to be back on home turf.
Easing into the night with a track from the new album, the band lead with Confirmation. The audience, although buzzing, aren’t fluent in Thoughts and Observations quite yet but they’re soon to sing at the top of their lungs as The Coronas bring out the big guns next with Addicted to Progress.
Streamers rain down inside the Olympia, catching on to the chandeliers where they stay for the duration of the show. The energy instantly heightens – this is only the start of the night’s theatrics.
Frontman Danny O’Reilly would almost blind you with his pearly whites; he never stops beaming the whole night as he serenades the packed crowd of fans who belt out almost every word back to him. The love here is undeniably mutual and it makes him nostalgic: “How many times have we played here? 60 times or something. And when you come out and that welcome is so nice, I just feel at home.”
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Making a playful dig at Oasis, he expresses his gratitude for the band’s loyal Irish fan base.
“Honest to god, it means so much to us and we don’t take it for granted. At a time when there’s so many gigs on and there’s so much going on and Oasis are selling tickets for €1,000 a go ...” On cue the crowd starts to boo, before they’re given a good-humoured hushing.
O’Reilly is joined on stage by fellow band members Conor Egan, on drums, and bassist Graham Knox. Fiddler Cormac Butler and saxophonist Cian MacSweeney are given a strong welcome, as is All Tvvins guitarist Lar Kaye who at times threatens to steal the show with his dance moves. Also on stage is O’Reilly’s sister, Róisín O, who seems to need no introduction.
Arms are swaying, hands are clapping and phone torches glowing as The Coronas sweep everyone away for a generous two-hour set. O’Reilly acquaints himself with the audience, serving some high fives to those at the barrier before running up into the boxes.
There’s no shortage of pyrotechnics throughout the gig – smoke, flames, confetti – you name it, The Coronas have it. Coupled with some freestyle camera work, it makes for an entertaining visual display.
Heroes or Ghosts has the crowd singing on their own. After some words of admiration, “Tá sibh go hálainn,” O’Reilly launches into the second verse as Gaeilge.
The band walk off but are quickly urged to return by a jolly chorus of olé olé olé. They are more than willing to oblige, playing a further handful of hits and finally finishing with San Diego Song just before 11pm.
The Coronas know this venue like the back of their hand, and the gig is all the better for it. Their latest record topping the Irish charts is a testament to the devoted pack of fans who stay loyal, even after two decades. Five sold-out shows here indicate that their popularity is not waning anytime soon, and it’s no wonder why when you see the show they put on.
